A
Brief History of Astrology
Definition:
Astrology encompasses those systems of divination and explication founded
on the principle that the positions and aspects of celestial bodies,
such as the planets, have a direct influence on earthly affairs.
Ancient
History: There
is evidence of early astrology in Mesopotamia, perhaps as far back as
3000 BC, but western astrology did not reach its flowering until the
influence of the ancient Greeks during the Hellenistic period (323-30
BCE). From there it was taken into Islamic culture, which would later
influence Western astrology itself during the Middle Ages when Islamic
science had a powerful influence on Europe. The cultures of ancient
Egypt, China and India also developed systems of astrology.
Middle Ages to the Present:
Even the rise of the Christian church, which gave edicts against astrology,
could not prevent astrology and its underlying philosophies of the nature
of the universe being used and developed by the populace and influential
thinkers. In the late Middle Ages, the universities at Florence, Paris
and Bologna (among others) all had chairs of astrology. In the Renaissance,
Nostradamus was the court astrologer for Katherine de Medici, Queen
of France and John Dee was the court astrologer for Queen Elizabeth
I of England. Even as recently as the Reagan administration, astrologers
have assisted heads of state.
The
Method: The
theory of classical astrology considered the positions and aspects of
the seven known astrological planets, including the Sun and the Moon,
which are not planets in the astronomical sense. Seven is an appropriately
mystical number, and the seven bodies studied were those that appeared
to move through the zodiac when viewed from earth: Sun, Moon, Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Once they were discovered, the three
remaining planets were incorporated into astrological theory. Uranus
was discovered in 1781, Neptune in 1846 and Pluto in 1930. Theories
and attributions regarding other heavenly bodies, such as the asteroid
Chiron (discovered in 1977), were also added to astrological lore, though
their usefulness is debatable.
Astrology's
continuing popularity:
Most scientists reject astrology as groundless superstition, but there
still seems to be some truth to the famous adage: As Above, So Below.
Somehow, the affairs of humankind seem to be reflected in the affairs
of the wider universe. Astrology attempts to make sense of the former
through the latter.
(Source:
Byzant Astrology www.byzant.com)
2000-2001 by Regina M. Raab
This page created 17 February 2001
This page last updated 17 February 2001
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